Baby bathing stand



M. D; RECHLER BABY BATHING STAND Jan. 8, 1952 2 Sl-IEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1948 TI'ORNEY Jan. 8, 1952 RECHLER 2,581,883

BABY BATHING STAND Filed Aug. 5, 1948 '2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN V EN TOR.

v ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,581,883 BABY BATHING STAND Morton D. ltec'hler', New York, N. Y.-, assignor to Rexart Metallndustries, 1110.; New York, N. Y., .a corporation of New York 1 Application August 5, 1948, Serial No. 42,609

Claims.

invention relates to baby hathih g stands of the type having a collapsible bathtub and a dressing table.

one of the outstanding features of the present device is its compactness when folded, enabling to be stored in small spacein a closet, behind a door, or hung upon a wall, where it willlbe out of the way in places where-space limited. as in small apartments.

Another feature resides in the provision of a rectangular tub frame of light construction and adapted to support the collapsible tub at all four sides. Another feature of this invention is embodied in the use of a pair of U-s'haped. folding legs which .coact with the tub frame to form a rigid light frameworkand having the advantages that it is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, readmy extended for use, and folded into compact term with equal ease. v M v Another feature is the provision at thelower portions of the legs of reinfcrclng cross braces which bridge the front wall of an ordinary bathtub, enabling the rear legs to be placed in the tub while the front legs are disposed on the outside close to the wall of the tub. This gives room for the nurse or mother to operate the device in a small bathroom, and still permits it to be used in the usual way ch any floor surface. As a further departure from prior bathing stands of this kind the dressing table ispivoted to swing upward to one side instead of to the back of the tub. In the present example the dressing table when out of use extends ina ver-, tical position at the right of the tub where it is within easy reach to be swung down for use upon the top of the tub fraine. 4

According to another feature of. this invention the collapsible tubis provided with an underlying harness which helps support the weight of the tub. During the folding operation of the legs the harness is drawn upward against the bottom of the tub and flattens or compacts the fabric in a manner to clear the folding Parts and give neatness to the folded appliance.

Various other features of advantage will be apparent as the description proceeds. Reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one of the practical forms of the invention. I r

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding hathlng stand made according to the invention; and showing the device ready foruse. V

Fig. 2 is a detail of a clamp as seen on the s'ection line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showlng the dressing table resting upon the tub frame. 4 u

Fig. 4 is a leng'thwise section on the line 4-4 of a turnbuckle associated with the leg frames.

I v 'g. 5 shows the stand in the process of. being ro1ued. H p F i Fig. 6 shows the stand "fully flded and ready for storing. I i 1 Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral lll indicates a rectangular frame comprising lengthwise frame sections H and cross-braces l2. The ends of the sections II are directed downward at l3 and pivotally connected by suitable fasteners such as rivets or bolts l4 to the upper portions 15 of U=shaped leg members [6 which include the top cross-bars H. The arrangement is such that the downwardly di rected or curved portions 13 of the frame sections ll contact the cross-bars I! at the points of intersection 18. This gives rigidity to the structure and establishes the outward spread of the leg members It. A spreader bar [9 is pivoted to the leg members I6 at the points 20 and 2|, the left hand portion 22 being of small cross-section to telescope within the right hand portion 23. A knurled sleeve 24 is threaded at 25 onto portion 23 and acts as a turnbuckle. Tubular portion 22 carries a headed push pin 26 normally forced outward through an opening 2'! by a spring v28 located within a recess 29 of a plug 30 affixed to the tube 22. The enclosed end of the tubular portion 23 is internally tapered at 3|. When the sleeve 24 is rotated to move it in the direction of arrow. A the end 32 of the sleeve bears against the pin 26 and forces the leg members I6 apart, thereby bringing pressure against the intersecting points of contact I 8 of the frame sections H and the cross-bars l1, giving rigidity to the entire structure. The portion 22 of the spreader bar I 9 may be provided with an extending part 33 having a return bend '34 pivoted at 35 to the rear portion of the left leg member, providing mounting means for a tray 36 secured in place by fasteners 31. The foldable tub 38 may comprise any suitable material such as rubberized fabric and has front and rear sides 39, ends 40, and bottom ll, the top edges being secured as by loops 42 and 43 to the respective section's II and cross-braces 12 forming the rectangular frame I 0. Further support is given the fabric tub 38 by a harness which may be in the form of a pair of straps 44 anchored by loops 5'5 to the cross-bars I! of leg members IS.- The straps 44 extend over the cross-' braces l2 and then downward on the outside of the tub to the bottom 4| where they next extend lengthwise along the bottom and are reinforced by transverse straps 41. The ends 40 of the tub 33 have notches 46 to 'give passage for the straps 44. The tub may be easily drained through a flexible tube 48 the free end of which is conveniently clipped into a spring clamp 50 secured at 5! to the front section II preferably above the water level; V

.1A' dressing table 52 the form of a U-shaped tubular frame 53 has its free ends curvedat 54 andconnected to the pivots or bolts 14 so that in Fig. 1, or pulled downward to th position or 7 use indicated in Fig. 3 where the table rests upon consist of any suitable kind of fabric and pro vides a sanitary support for the infant.

Any suitable means may be used for holdin the table 52 in its different positions of adjustment. For simplicity a star wheel comprising a pair of radially corrugated plates or disks are rotatably clamped together by the bolts I4. Disk 56 is secured to the curved portion of the front frame section II by-a fastener 58 and a spacing sleeve 59, while the disk 51 is fastened by a rivet or screw 60 to the curved portion 54 of frame 53. This enables the leg members 16 to be moved independently of the dressing table frame.

Reinforcing bars 6| are provided at the lower portions of the leg members l6. In order that the device may be used in an ordinary bathroom wherespace is limited, the reinforcing bars 6| are'shaped as illustrated to clear the front wall W of the house bathtub T, allowing the rear feet 62 to rest upon the inside of the bathtub while '4 the frametd swing upwardly toward the frame and downwardly away from the frame, a rectangular collapsible tub supported at four sides by the frame, an adjustable spreader device forming a link between the leg members, and a tray carried by an "extension of the spreader device.

2. A baby bathing stand comprising a rectangular frame, leg members pivoted to said frame at opposite ends thereof, a collapsible tub secured at its upper edges to said frame, and a harness connected to 'the leg members above their pivots to the frame and extendingbeneath the tub,'said leg members exerting pulls on said harness in opposite directions to collapse the tub when. said leg members are swung toward each other to folded positions beneath said frame.

3. A baby bathing stand comprising a'rigid rectangular frame, inverted U-shaped leg members pivoted adjacent their upper ends to said frame, a collapsible tub suspended from said frame, and reinforcing bars for the lower porthe front feet 63 rest upon the floor of the bathv room immediately in front of the wall of the bathtub. This is accomplished by bending the bars 6| to provide the lower horizontal portions 64, the upper horizontal portions 65, and the vertical rise portions 66, affording good bracing and adapting the frames for use on different styles of bathtubs where the shapes of the tub walls may vary considerably. In those cases where the top edge of the tub wall is high above the floor level, the upper portions 65 of the reinforcing bars can rest upon the edge of the tub whilethe vertical rises 66 act as backing pieces which prevent the stand from working its way forward toward the operator.

The stand can be readily collapsed by unscrewing the sleeve 24 away from the pin 26 and then pushing down on the pin so that it will ride into the telescoping portion 23, as will be clear from the construction shown in Fig. 4. The taper .3! forces the push pin 26 down against the spring. pressure and guides the pin onto the'inner surface of the tube 23 allowing the other tubular portion 22 to slide thereinto r during the folding operation of the leg members as illustrated in Fig. 5.

During the folding of the legs the harness straps 44 exert an upward pull upon the bottom of thecollapsible tub flattening the. fabric toward the rectangular framework above and preventing entanglement with the folding parts. This also has the advantage that the entire folding and compacting of the parts takes place through the simple operation of swinging-the leg members about pivots to bring them to their collapsed positions beneath the tub structure.

a It is to be noted that the tray 36 is within easy .reach at the left as the operator faces. the stand and provides a convenient place for the usual accessories, while the spreader bar I9 is useful as a towel rack. The front frame section I I may be used as a support for a pocket flap, or the latter may.- be formed as a part of the tub fabric. Various modifications of the foregoing may be made within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: N 1. A baby bathing stand comprising'a rectam gular frame having two long sides and two short. Sides, leg members pivoted to the short sides of tions of the leg members, said bars being shaped to clear the front wall of a house bathtub, whereby the stand may be placed with its rear feet in said bathtub while the front feet rest upon the floor on the outside of said bathtub, each of said bars including a vertical rise portion between the front and rear legs of each leg member, said vertical portions of said bars acting as stops to engage the inner face of the front wall of the bath tub to prevent shifting of the stand toward the operator. 4. A baby bathingstand comprising a collapsible tub, a frame supporting said tub, leg

. members pivoted to said frame, and a telescopthe opposite leg members, a tray carried by said spreader bar, and means operated by said leg members for compacting said tub when the leg members are moved about their pivots to collapsed positions toward the plane of the tray beneath the tub supportingv frame.

MORTON D. RECHLER.

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